Bittersweet, the life of Jakotsu
by vampire131
Summary: The life of Jakotsu, and what events caused his to become the way he was. Um...Im not good at summerys so you should check it out yourself!
1. Chapter 1

"_If I had known the end was so near I would have done much, much more with my life._

_If I had known I would die so soon, I would have not have allowed myself to be taken over by my emotions._

_I would have smelled more flowers. I would have allowed myself shed my tears, and release my hurt, for once. _

_I would have forgiven all of those who have hurt me…and I would cry for those I have hurt. _

_I would have tried harder…to love without the hate, to feel the pleasure of love, not only the sadness. I would have let myself be loved._

_If I had known my life would be so short, I would have tried to enjoy life more._

_Because no one has suffered more then I have."_

Bittersweetthe life of Jakotsu 

Jakotsu faintly remembered…the ground had been cold only moments earlier…and the air had been cold too. He remembered how he had shivered in the cool air of the cave, only to be warmed by the thought of seeing Inuyasha. Funny…now as Jakotsu lay dieing on the hard ground, he felt no cold…only a numb sort of warmth that spread through his entire body…he felt…nice. Death wasn't so bad after all. Jakotsu drew in a deep breath. Everything was growing faint…he gently closed his eyes…and allowed the images of his life to flash before him.

70 years ago…

"Jakotsu, isn't she cute? I'm sure she'll make the perfect bride!"

Jakotsu looked up at his mother…she looked so cheerful…so happy that he was going to be married to the girl across from him. The girl looked cute enough. She was wearing a yellow Kimono and her hair was tied up in a ribbon. Jakotsu studied her. She looked approximately seven years old, which was three years younger then he was.

"So, Takenaga-San, me son be marrying your lovely daughter, Sayo?" Jakotsu asked the girls father.

"I think Sayo will be ready when she is 14"

"And she is healthy?"

"Of course."

Jakotsu tuned out of their conversation, and looked at Sayo again. Another boy his age wouldn't have minded the arranged marriage…but somehow…it felt wrong to Jakotsu. He wondered briefly to himself if he could really spend his whole life with this girl. Would she be the one to bear his children? He couldn't imagine it.

Jakotsu suddenly realized he was staring at Sayo, who was smiling brightly at him. He tried to make himself smile, but it felt so fake, so wrong, as if he was lying.

"Its settled then." His father's voice interrupted Jakotsu's thoughts. He looked up to see his father, and AyameTakenaga shaking hands. The date had been decided, the amount of money agreed upon, and the pleasantries exchanged. The business was finished.

"Come on Sayo, let's go." Takenaga said. Sayo rose to her feet and her family left, before exchanging brief goodbyes. As Sayo left, Jakotsu felt a small weight lifted from him, one that he didn't even know he had. He sighed softly to himself, in relief.

"Aren't you happy Jakotsu? You just met the girl you're going to marry one day." Jakotsu's father asked. Jakotsu studied the ground.

"I don't know…it feels strange. I'm not sure if I'll be able to love her." Jakotsu replied uncertainly.

"You're still young." His mother chirped. "Its normal for a young boy not to feel attracted to girls yet. I'm sure you'll adore her when you're older." She paused. "Besides…it doesn't really matter all that much If you love her. As long as she can look after the house for you, cook, and have your children. Its important to be able to have a child to help you out."

Jakotsu's mother, Kiko, looked genuinely happy. In fact she looked happier then Jakotsu had seen in a long time. He doubted she was happy because for him, rather she was happy that in 9 years, Jakotsu would move out of the house, and she would be finally rid of him._ She's so selfish._ Jakotsu thought. It was hard to understand why a man like Jakotsu's father, Reisuki, would marry a woman like Kiko. Jakotsu loved his mother very much, but often he would get the impression that she didn't care for him at all. Sometimes she would look at him with fear in her eyes, as if she was troubled that something might be wrong with him. _Maybe there is. _Jakotsu wondered if that was true. It often seemed, even to him that there was something slightly different about him then all his friends. While his friends all chased and teased girls, Jakotsu felt no interest for it. He didn't understand why they felt they had to tease girls they liked. It was…immature. What was so interesting about girls anyways? Jakotsu preferred to be with his friends or his father. He admired his father, Reisuki very much. Many people did, for Reisuki was a very brave man, who was quite well trained in sword fighting. Whenever a demon was attacking the village, the village people would call on Reisuki for help. _I want to be like my father when I grow up. _Jakotsu thought. _Someone who is strong, brave and good hearted. I want to be just as humble and generous as he is. _

"Sayo will love you very much, Jakotsu." You're such a kind hearted young boy. I imagine you'll be a fine man." Reisuki said. He patted Jakotsu's head affectionately, and Jakotsu smiled, a smile only someone who was genuinely happy could make.

Hey…I hope I doesn't seem like this is the end of my story. I sort of wish it was, but there's sad events in Jakotsu's life, that I will write. I hope I do a good job, on this. Jakotsu deserves it.


	2. chapter 2

It was at the age of 14, when it became painfully obvious that Jakotsu was not an ordinary boy. Jakotsu's best friend, Hikaru, often teased Jakotsu for not being interested in girls. He believed that Jakotsu hadn't matured enough. Yet there was a different reason why Jakotsu wasn't attracted to females. A reason that Jakotsu knew he could never tell Hikaru. Jakotsu was in love with him. He was in love with his best friend.

"You're so lucky." Hikaru said, who was sitting beside Jakotsu. "Sayo is such a beautiful girl. And she's your fiancé!"

Jakotsu sighed, rubbing his fingers on the ground. He and Hikaru were sitting by the edge of the river, just outside the village. He, and Hikaru would come to this spot often, to skip stones, or just to talk. Hikaru found it very boring, just to sit and talk, but Jakotsu enjoyed it. He found it very relaxing, and peaceful.

"Sure, whatever you say, Hikaru." Jakotsu muttered. "I don't even know her, very well, and yet my parents have put me into this arranged marriage."

Hikaru laughed, the sunlight reflecting his eyes, and making them a brilliant amber color. "I don't see why you mind so much. She's adorable."

Jakotsu studied his friend in the light. He had a beautiful face, with thick shiny hair, often falling into it. His skin was unusually fair, for someone who spent so much time outside, playing ball, and he had magnificent eyes, that were a soft brown color. He was by far, the best looking boy in the village. _It's hopeless._ Jakotsu thought, sighing. His friend was totally straight, and if there even was a tiny chance, Hikaru would fall in love with him, then Jakotsu would become the enemy of every young woman in the village of Murabito. Not to mention his mother. _She would probably disown me. _

"Besides, you two would look cute together." Hikaru chirped. Jakotsu felt surprised. A tiny part of him felt hurt. He looked into his friends brown eyes, and felt slightly sad. _I don't want to be with Sayo. I want to be with you Hikaru! _Jakotsu thought. _I love you! _

"Erm…I had better go." Jakotsu stood.

"Why?" Hikaru asked, his face concerned. "Did I say something wrong?"

Jakotsu shook his head, and gave a reassuring smile.

"No, It's just my mother. She probably wants me home by now."

"Ah." Hikaru said knowingly. "Well I'll see you later then."

"Take care." Jakotsu began walking back to the village, feeling guilty. Jakotsu had told Hikaru that his mother was strict, and that was the reason he wasn't allowed out much. But that was a lie. Jakotsu knew exactly why he wasn't allowed out. He clearly remembered, the day his mother, Kiko, had told him not to spend time with Hikaru.

"That boy…Hikaru. You fancy him don't you? I will not allow this! You are to marry Sayo! Besides…would your friend want you to play with him, if he knew you were attracted to him?"

Jakotsu often wished he hadn't told his parents he was gay. Things would be so much easier for him. If he had never told, his mother would never had treated him the she did, Yelling at him, half the time, and acting afraid of him, the other half. He thought of the moment, the moment that changed his relationship with Kiko forever.

"Sayo's mother just dropped these off!" Kiko exclaimed, clutching a bag of buns. "She told me Sayo made them. Isn't it wonderful? Sayo is such a good cook. She's a perfect wife!" Jakotsu bit his lip.

"Mother…father…I have to tell you something." Kiko's face immediately grew apprehensive. She didn't want to deal with Jakotsu's problems. Even so, Jakotsu felt that he had to tell his parents

"I…I'm not normal." Jakotsu's voice wavered as he spoke.

"What do you mean, not normal?" His father, Reisuki asked.

Jakotsu studied floor. "I…I don't like girls, father." Reisuki's eyes widened.

"Jakotsu…do you mean…?"

Jakotsu nodded slowly. "Yes…I'm…I'm gay." There was a silence.

"No…" Kiko stood, suddenly. "No! Jakotsu this isn't funny! Don't joke like this!" Her eyes were full of fear and fury. In one quick stride, she strode to Jakotsu and slapped him. He let out a cry of pain, as his head was thrown to the side from the blow. The pain felt sharp, like needles, stabbing into his flesh. "Jakotsu! Tell me your joking! Apologize for joking right now!" She grabbed Jakotsu's Yukata, and shook him roughly.

"Kiko!" Reisuki stood and grabbed his wife's arm. She let out a furious growl and wrenched it from his grip.

"No! I wont accept it! I cant! What will the other villagers say if they found out? Our family name will be dishonored, forever!" She glared at Jakotsu. "Don't tell anyone this, do you understand! If you ever do, you are no longer part of this family!" Kiko gave another cry of anger, and then ran from the house, leaving the straw door flapping behind her.

Reisuki sighed. "Don't worry Jakotsu." He said softly. "In time, your mother will accept your life choice."

Yet, it had been a year since Jakotsu had confessed he was gay, and his mother had still not accepted it. She made no effort to hide the fact that she resented him. She would often yell at Jakotsu for the smallest of things. I hate her! Jakotsu thought bitterly. He clenched his fists angrily, and gritted his teeth. Jakotsu stopped, as he realized he had reached his house. He carefully lifted the straw door, and stepped inside.

"Jakotsu! Where were you?" Jakotsu winced, as Kiko glared at him, from the straw mat floor. "You're late for dinner!" Jakotsu sat down on the floor, next to Reisuki and began drinking the remaining bowl of soup from the small table.

"I'm sorry. He murmured.

"Don't tell me you were with that boy, Hikaru again." Kiko narrowed her eyes.

"I was just taking a walk!" Jakotsu protested. He bit his lip. Kiko looked suspiciously at him.

"You better have only been taking a walk!" Kiko snapped. She pursed her lips tightly, making lines stand out on her face. Jakotsu occasionally thought that his mother might have been pretty when she was younger. But a life of stress, and anger, had caused her to age beyond her years, erasing whatever beauty she might have once held. Is it because of me, that she's so angry? Jakotsu wondered. Or was she angry at something else, and taking it out on him? It doesn't matter. Jakotsu dug his nails into the palm of his hand. She's such a bitch! How could she treat me this way?

Jakotsu pushed away his bowl. "I'm finished. I'm going to go collect wood for the fire." He stood, a stepped out of the house, and into the cool night air. The sun was just starting to set, and the horizon had been tuned into a streak of orangey flames. The beautiful scenery did little to sooth Jakotsu's emotions. He felt so angry. He knew he should be used to his mothers behavior, but this night he felt unusually angry. Normally, when his mother mistreated him, he simply nodded. Later, when his father, would ask if he were all right, Jakotsu would smile brightly, and laugh. He didn't want Reisuki to worry. Lately it seemed like he was hiding his true emotions from everyone. He kept from showing his rage towards Kiko. He acted cheerful so his father wouldn't be upset. And most of all, he kept his emotions from Hikaru. He would laugh, joke, and talk to Hikaru, as if he had no care in the world, but often it would hurt so much to look at him. To look at his gorgeous face, and know that they could never be together. Jakotsu lifted his head, as the sound of footsteps interrupted his thoughts. A warm hand settled on Jakotsu's shoulder. Jakotsu turned to see Reisuki standing beside him.

"Aren't you getting firewood, son?" Reisuki smiled softly, his dark eyes crinkling in the corners.

"Oh yeah…I'm just enjoying the view." Jakotsu gestured to the sunset.

"Jakotsu…Don't pay attention to the way your mother acts. There is nothing wrong with you. Its not your fault."

Jakotsu's eyes widened.

"I…I know that." He paused. "She acts like it's my fault, though. Its as if I did something wrong…"

"No." Reisuki's voice was firm. You haven't done anything wrong. She doesn't have the right to be angry at you." Jakotsu looked at his father, feeling surprised. His eyes…they were soft, and distant, as if he was thinking of something.

"What is she angry of?" Jakotsu asked.

His father didn't reply.

"Father?"

Reisuki finally looked at Jakotsu. His face wore a strange expression that Jakotsu could not read…it looked…sad…regretful, maybe.

"Its…its nothing." Reisuki rubbed his arms. "Its getting cold isn't it? I'm going inside. Good night Jakotsu" He hurried back into the house. Jakotsu watched him go, feeling surprised. In Jakotsu's opinion it wasn't the least bit cold. Why was his father trying to avoid answering his question? Jakotsu stared at the place his Reisuki had just stood, and wondered exactly, what his father, who was usually so honest and truthful, was keeping from him.

-

­………………………………………………………………………………………………

Jakotsu hurried outside, wanting to get out of the house as fast as he could. The morning air was fresh and full of the scent of flowers. Birds chirped softly. It was a bit chilly, but Jakotsu would rather freeze, then to be in the same house as his mother. He thought about the odd conversation he had had with his father the previous night. It had been very strange. Jakotsu had pondered it, before he slept and hadn't figured out what his father was talking about. Even now, in the morning, after he had rested, Jakotsu still had no clue why Reisuki had been acting so oddly. Jakotsu shrugged, deciding not to worry about it. He would probably find out in time. Now, he was simply concentrating on heading to Hikaru's house. The guy will probably still be sleeping. Jakotsu smiled. Hikaru was so lazy sometimes. Jakotsu began to jog, as he saw Hikaru's house in the distance. He felt surprised as he noticed Hikaru leaning against the house. He looked so cute, standing there, with his hair fluttering in the breeze. Jakotsu smiled slightly, and wondered what his friend was doing, up at this time.

Wait…who's that with him? Jakotsu blinked. His friend was talking to Sayo. Weird! Jakotsu slowed his pace, and squinted. Sayo was grinning at Hikaru. Jakotsu saw her mouth move. Hikaru replied something back to her, and Sayo pouted. She rested her hand softly on Hikaru's shoulder, and whispered something. She's flirting with him! Jakotsu watched unbelieving, as his fiancé waved to Hikaru, and walked away. Jakotsu hurried over to Hikaru.

"Hikaru!" Hikaru turned, and grinned happily when he saw Jakotsu.

"Hi Jakotsu. Do you want to head out and play ball in field?"

Jakotsu stared at his friend. His face looked friendly, and open, but Jakotsu swore he could see guilt lurking behind those warm brown eyes of his.

"Yeah I would love to. Um…did I just see Sayo here?" Jakotsu had tried to make his voice sound casual but it had came out sounding slightly worried.

Hikaru nodded. "Yeah, she was just here."

"What did she want?"

Hikaru hesitated. "She was just asking about you and stuff."

"Really?" Jakotsu asked.

"Yeah…she sounds really excited about being your fiancé." Hikaru smiled.

Jakotsu nodded. He knew his friend was lying. Hikaru…he was a gorgeous male specimen, and almost all the young girls of their village liked him. Sayo was probably no different. Except…Sayo was admittedly, very pretty as well. Was it possible that Hikaru was interested in her, as she was in him? As soon as Jakotsu thought this, a sharp stab of jealousy stabbed his heart. Face it. Jakotsu thought bitterly. I have no chance.

"Jakotsu?" Hikaru asked? "Are you alright?"

Jakotsu blinked. Then he grinned brightly. "Of course, I'm fine! Lets go play ball."

Together, they walked together towards the field.


	3. Chapter 3

Jakotsu was tired, but happy. He had just played ball with Hikaru. And he had won. Jakotsu had always been very fit, and could probably beat many people at ball. Yet, Hikaru was different. Hikaru was a good athlete as well, and he was the only person who actually challenged Jakotsu. Other then his father that is. Reisuki was very good at physical activity.

Jakotsu sat down, breathing heavily.

"Good game, Jakotsu." Hikaru panted. He sat beside Jakotsu in the damp grass. Jakotsu and Hikaru rested for a moment, catching their breaths. Jakotsu turned to look at Hikaru and saw a glittering object poking from his friend Yukata.

"Hey…What's that?" Jakotsu asked, pointing to the odd metallic object.

"Oh…" Hikaru pulled it from his pocket, and Jakotsu saw that it was a butterfly hairpin. Its metallic blue wings caught the sunlight, and Jakotsu sharply inhaled.

"Yeah, this thing." Hikaru said. "I found it in my house. I guess it was my mother's before she died." Hikaru paused. "My dad told me to go sell it at the pawn market."

Jakotsu stared at the beautiful hairpin. He wasn't sure why, but he found himself oddly mesmerized by the dazzling silver of its color. _I hope I don't make a habit of being fascinated with female clothing articles. _He thought to himself.

"Can I…Can I see it?" Jakotsu asked. Hikaru dropped it onto Jakotsu's outstretched hand, and Jakotsu lightly ran his finger along the smooth surface of the pin.

"Its beautiful…may I buy it?" Jakotsu looked up at his friend.

Hikaru laughed. "Its yours."

Jakotsu blinked, feeling surprised. "Um…so how much should I pay for it?"

Hikaru shook his head. "Nothing. You're doing me a favor by taking it." Hikaru's voice grew quiet. "My father cant stand having anything of mother's in the house. I'm glad to know it will be in the hands of someone who will take care of it."

Jakotsu looked into the reflective surface, of the pins iridescent blue, butterfly wings. Then he softly curled his hand around it, and clutched it to his chest. "Thank you."

Hikaru smiled softly. "You're odd, you know Jakotsu?"

"Huh? Why?"

"Because…that hairpin is meant for girls. Why would you want a girl, hairpin?"

Jakotsu felt startled. He laughed.

"I guess I just have a weakness for beautiful things." He gazed into Hikaru's soft brown eyes and smiled. _Just like you, Hikaru._

Hikaru chuckled. "Weirdo. You're so different!"

You don't know how different I am, Hikaru. If you knew…would you still like me? Would you still be able to laugh with me, and have fun around me? Would we still be friends? Or would you become like my mother, fearful and so full of hate?

Jakotsu gave a soft smile, one that masked the bitterness he was feeling.

"Yes…I am different, Hikaru."

"Jakotsu?" Hikaru's voice was concerned.

"Nothing, Hikaru. Its nothing."

……………………………………………………………………………………………

"Jakotsu! Your home just in time!" Reisuki said happily, as Jakotsu stepped into the house.

Jakotsu studied he father, who was standing beside Kiko. He was dressed in a loose top, and cotton gi pants, tucked into boots. Shoulder armor and a chest plate covered his upper body.

"I was afraid you wouldn't get home until I was gone!" Reisuki came up to Jakotsu and patted his shoulder. "I wanted to say goodbye, before I left."

"Where are you going, father?" Jakotsu asked. He wasn't surprised to find his father was leaving. He was constantly being called off, to help rid a demon in a neighboring village, or to fight in a small battle. Yet, his father would always return, with stories of his adventures to tell Jakotsu.

"Oh. I've been called off to the small mountain village Shigakoku, to fight a powerful demon. Apparently, the demon is a wicked powerful witch who seduces men." Reisuki laughed. "Can you believe it? All people have been killed, just because of a seductress." Jakotsu smiled.

"Well be careful, not to fall for her charms."

Reisuki laughed again. "I have a stronger willpower then that!" His smile softened "I wish I could stay around a bit longer, you always make me smile Jakotsu."

"Don't worry, father, you'll see me soon, after you slay this demon."

Reisuki nodded. "Be good while I'm gone Jakotsu." He laid a hand on Jakotsu's head.

Kiko scowled. "I think you should go already, shouldn't you Reisuki? People are dying, up in Shigakoku, and you're chatting with your son!" Reisuki paused.

"Yes, you are right, Kiko. He suddenly turned around and softly kissed Kiko's forehead. He seemed slightly sad. Jakotsu felt surprised. His father didn't often kiss Kiko. He thought she would have been pleased, but instead Kiko tensed up, a look of anger briefly passing over her features.

"Farewell, Kiko. Jakotsu." Then he turned and slipped out of the small house. Jakotsu frowned, thinking of his mother's reaction. Perhaps he had imagined it? _Kiko is probably so uptight, she even cant stand her own husband._ Jakotsu decided.

"Jakotsu! These plates are filthy! It's your responsibility to clean them!"

Jakotsu sighed. "Yes mother." He stood and gathered up the dishes, to be scrubbed.


	4. chapter 4

"Mother?" Jakotsu asked, while scrubbing the dishes.

"What is it?" Kiko snapped, looking annoyed.

Jakotsu spoke carefully.

"Mother, are you angry at father?" He closely watched Kiko's reaction.

A brief look of rage passed over her features. "I am not mad at your father. Don't ask things like that!"

Jakotsu paused. "Do you love him, then?"

For one horrible moment, Jakotsu regretted what he said. Kiko balled her hands into fists. Her face transformed into a look of intense grief, and then into a murderous look of anger.

"How dare you ask such a question?" Kiko demanded. He grabbed onto Jakotsu's kimono.

"Get out of here!" She hauled him to the front door, and threw him outside.

Jakotsu slowly stood, brushing dust off of himself. He stared at the door feeling perplexed. _What was that about? _He wondered. Jakotsu knew better then to enter the house again any time soon. He began walking towards the river to think things out. Why would Kiko be so mad about such a simple question? Kiko had always been a person who got mad easily, but her reaction to Jakotsu's question was way over the top.

_Perhaps…she doesn't love father anymore. No wait, even if she didn't, she wouldn't be mad about that. _Jakotsu kicked a few stones on ground. _Maybe she's in love with another man. And she is bitter that she must stay married to father. _Jakotsu burst out laughing. The thought of a man who would fall in love with Kiko was ridiculous. Jakotsu smiled, imagining a thin poker faced man with his arm around Kiko, who was scowling. It was a very weird image.

For Jakotsu's entire walk to the river he pondered what the situation was between his mother and his father. Each scenario he imagined got more and more ridiculous, as he ran out of logical answers on why Kiko could be so mad at Reisuki. Eventually Jakotsu reached the river.

_This place…there's a reason I drag Hikaru here so much. _Besides it being a beautiful place where he could sit, relax and talk with his friend, it was also a place where his father taught Jakotsu how to skip stones. Jakotsu remembered when he was five years old. His father made the mistake of skipping a stone into the river. After that, young Jakotsu had been absolutely determined to learn how to skip stones. He hadn't learned quickly either. Reisuki had to sit for hours with Jakotsu, while Jakotsu tossed rocks into the water, refusing to go home until he had learned. Jakotsu thought that if he had been in Reisuki's he would have dragged his son home. Instead, Reisuki had been patient, and had stayed by Jakotsu's side.

Jakotsu looked at the sakura tree's that were just starting to bloom. The white buds hung from the branches. Jakotsu leaned his head backwards, suddenly feeling sleepy. He rested his head against the tree he was leaning on. Jakotsu hadn't planed on falling asleep but he found that as he relaxed, his limbs suddenly felt very heavy and he could no longer move his eyelids. He softly drifted into a deep sleep.

Somebody was crying. Jakotsu could hear it. He looked around the snowy field, trying to see the person who was crying. Everything was so white…and the snow kept blowing into his eyes. Jakotsu finally caught sight of a blurry figure crouched in the snow. He slowly walked towards the figure, feeling apprehensive.

Jakotsu stopped. A small boy was in front of him, his face buried in his hands. Tears ran from under his fingers, and froze as they fell down to snow covered earth. Jakotsu blinked and put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Hey…are you alright?" Jakotsu tapped the boy's shoulder. The boy stopped crying. He looked up at Jakotsu, and for the first time Jakotsu saw the boy's face. A surge of de'je'vu ran up Jakotsu's spine. _I…I've seen that face before._ Jakotsu thought. That face…it was the face of what he looked like when he was a young boy.

"Jakotsu." The boy said.

"Why…why were you crying?" Jakotsu asked.

There was something about the boy's face that seemed different then his own, besides being younger. Like Jakotsu, they boy had a carefree childish look on his face…but their eyes. They were so different. When Jakotsu looked into his reflection in the water, he saw a slightly bitter and sad look in his eyes. This young boy…his eyes were full of innocence and hope, despite the slightly sorrowful look on his face.

"I was crying because I'm sad." The little boy said.

"Why were you sad?" Asked Jakotsu. He couldn't help feeling afraid of what the boys answer would be.

The boy paused. He looked up at Jakotsu. "I'm dieing." He whispered.

Jakotsu took an involuntary step backwards. "What do you mean? You're standing in front of me."

The boy shook his head. "No…I'm gone, dead. I can't be found anywhere."

Jakotsu bit his lip "I don't understand."

The boy stepped forward, and Jakotsu felt surprised. The young boy stretched up his hands and gently held Jakotsu's face in his small fingers.

"I'm still here." He said softly closing his eyes. "Please don't kill me." Jakotsu was beginning to feel scared.

"Don't worry I wont hurt you." The little boy didn't reply. Suddenly Jakotsu realized the young boy's grip on his head was starting to hurt.

"Ow!" Jakotsu backed away from the boy, rubbing his cheek. When he looked up the boy was gone. In his place stood a very tall man. Jakotsu wasn't able to see the man very well, for most of his face and body was covered in shadows. Yet Jakotsu could see that the man was holding a large sword that was dripping with blood.

Jakotsu jumped backwards, as the man charged towards him, with the sword raised.

"Jakotsu…" the man yelled. "Jakotsu…Jakotsu…Jakotsu…"

"Jakotsu…Jakotsu wake up!"

Jakotsu's eyes shot open. He blinked a few times and stared at Hikaru, who sat in front of him.

"Uh…" Jakotsu moaned. He rubbed at his head, trying to get rid of the dull pain that swam at his temples.

"Are you okay?" Asked Hikaru looking concerned. "I came to the river and found you sleeping here."

"I'm fine." Jakotsu murmured.

"That must have been some dream you were having. You kept twitching in your sleep, and I wasn't able to wake you up." Hikaru paused. "What were you dreaming of?"

Jakotsu frowned. How odd…He couldn't remember at all what his dream was. Something about snow…

"Its weird…I cant remember."

"I'm sure it will come back to you." Hikaru reassured. "What were you doing here anyways?"

"Thinking." Jakotsu quickly told Hikaru about Reisuki going away, and how Kiko seemed to be angry with him.

"Hmm…strange." Hikaru said. "Maybe Reisuki is having an affair with another woman!"

"No way!" Jakotsu said, feeling shocked "Father wouldn't do that!"

Hikaru laughed. "Kidding, I'm only kidding! Reisuki is too cool for that."

Jakotsu and Hikaru chatted a bit, about Reisuki and Kiko.

"Hey…Hikaru…You smell kind of weird." Jakotsu said sniffing at his friend, who smelled slightly like flowers. Not that Jakotsu minded the smell, but it seemed kind of…un-Hikaru like. He couldn't imagine how Hikaru could have picked it up.

"Oh…really? What do I smell like?" Hikaru asked.

"I Dunno…kind of girly, like flowers." Jakotsu replied.

Hikaru looked embarrassed. "Well…um…I tripped into flower bush on my way here."

Jakotsu studied his friend. Hikaru was obviously a very bad liar. His face was slightly red, and his eyes would not meet Jakotsu's.

Jakotsu wished everyone would just stop keeping secrets from him. Kiko, Reisuki, and now Hikaru. Everyone was lying to him.

"Ha ha! Hikaru, you are such a klutz!" Jakotsu laughed, and Hikaru did too, relief spreading across his face.

"Hey! At least I'm not interested in female hair clips!" Hikaru said gleefully, shoving Jakotsu.

Jakotsu, still feeling disoriented from his deep sleep, toppled to the ground.

"Hikaru you are dead!" Jakotsu protested, laughing. He grabbed Hikaru's legs and pulled him down.

Jakotsu wasn't sure what happened next. Looking, back, it was all a blur of shoves and laughing, and pushes, and then suddenly Hikaru was on top of him.

Hikaru was on top of him. Hikaru was on top of him. Hikaru was ON him.

Jakotsu abruptly stopped laughing and sat up, shoving Hikaru off him.

"Um…Jakotsu?" Hikaru asked. His voice was confused and concerned.

Jakotsu didn't answer. His breath came out in shallow pants. His heart was pounding in his chest, so fast, it seemed like it would rip from his body. Jakotsu dug his fingers into the ground, as dizziness overwhelmed him, and butterflies took flight in his stomach. In all of Jakotsu's life, he had never felt like this before. He felt as if his whole body was flushed with heat.

"Jakotsu! Please answer me!" Hikaru pleaded. He sounded scared.

"I'm…Fine." Jakotsu stood shakily, onto his feet. Hikaru quickly stood as well.

"Are you okay? What just happened?" Hikaru held out a hand and lightly rested it on Jakotsu's shoulder. Jakotsu flinched slightly at the touch.

"I'll be okay…I think I'm coming down with the flu or something. Don't worry. I just need to go home and rest."

Hikaru frowned. "Well okay…if you say so."

Muttering a quick goodbye, Jakotsu began walking away from Hikaru. As soon as Jakotsu was sure he was out of Hikaru's sight, he began to run. _I cant…I cant do this! _Jakotsu thought. He was so sick of it. Jakotsu couldn't stand being with Hikaru, acting normal, doing normal things. _I cant even wrestle with him, like most boys can with their friends! _He thought bitterly. Those feelings he had had…they frightened him. Jakotsu was so scared of falling in love even more with Hikaru then he already was. _Pretty soon…we might not be able to hang out casually like friends…_Jakotsu stopped, realizing he was going towards the direction of his home. _Is that I really want to go right now? _Jakotsu asked himself. It seemed like that was not a good place to go, if he wanted to be comforted.

Hikaru…what do I do? I couldn't stand if…if we couldn't even be friends. 

Jakotsu bent downwards, placing his hands on his knees.

Hikaru…we cant joke around like we used to…We cant talk normally like we used to… 

_Because every time I look at you…I feel…like I want you so much…_

Hurt tore at Jakotsu's chest, making him feel like crying. Yet he didn't. Jakotsu…he hadn't cried in so long. Even when he was hurting so much he would never

Allow himself to shed tears.


	5. chapter 5

"Please…I heard about Jakotsu being sick…may I please come in?" Hikaru's desperate voice drifted into the small house.

"No you may not Hikaru, I've told you. Jakotsu is very sick at the moment. He can't have visitors!" Kiko's sharp voice replied.

Jakotsu ran his fingers against the soft futon he lay on. He closed his eyes and curled into fetal position.

"I know…but I'm so worried about him…" Hikaru really did sound worried. That was nice…

"Yes…well when he is better I'll tell him you came." Kiko said. Jakotsu knew she would do no such thing.

"Well, alright. I hope he gets better soon." There was a whooshing noise, as the straw door closed. Kiko waited a few minutes before walking over to Jakotsu.

"That boy…its repulsive, how he talks like he cares so much about you…god, its as if you are lovers." Kiko's voice was full of disgust.

Jakotsu did not replied. He had not said anything to Kiko, or anyone else for that matter, in the last twelve hours. After, Jakotsu had run away from Hikaru, he had stumbled around the small village, feeling lost and disoriented. He finally returned and collapsed on the floor. Even Kiko, who normally never paid attention to Jakotsu, except when yelling at him, noticed Jakotsu's quietness.

"_Sick? Well I still expect you to do the chores. You cant be that sick!"_ She had said. Jakotsu had barely heard her. His mind was somewhere else, in a place where he was drowning in self-pity and sorrow. Most of the times Jakotsu kept his troubles at the back of his mind, choosing not to think of them often. He had built a wall between himself and all those negative emotions he had. But now…it was like his latest bit of pain and suffering had broken the wall. Now, all the horrible emotions that Jakotsu hated feeling were overwhelming him. At the moment he was incredibly aware of all his troubles. The fact that has mother hated him. The fact that his father, whom he loved, was somewhere in the mountains in danger. That the fact he was in love with his best friend…and finally that the person he loved might be in love with another.

"Jakotsu, I'm going out! Stay here. You better not let that boy Hikaru inside, or I'll know." Jakotsu made no reply, as the straw mat door swished closed.

_I wish I were somebody else. _Jakotsu lay on the ground for a few minutes feeling horrible.

Suddenly there was a soft thumping on the side of the house.

"Um is anyone home?" A soft female voice called out. It was Sayo. Jakotsu felt a burst of bitterness upon hearing her voice. _I'll pretend I'm asleep. I wont say anything. _Jakotsu decided. He inhaled in surprise, when he heard the straw mat door open. He imagined Sayo peering inside.

"Uh…are you awake?" When Jakotsu didn't reply, Sayo spoke again. "Jakotsu?"

_God, just leave me alone. _Jakotsu wondered what Sayo could possible want with him.

"Kiko…she told my Mom you were sick…eh, Mother told me to leave these buns here. It's the sort of thing you're supposed to do for your fiancé."

_Ooh…_Jakotsu felt a flicker of interest at that. Sayo's voice had turned slightly bitter at that last sentence…it made sense that Sayo wouldn't want to marry Jakotsu if she liked Hikaru. _Don't worry Sayo I don't want to marry you either. _

"Are you really asleep?" Sayo asked. Her voice was quieter now, and less questioning. By this point, she didn't really think there was a chance Jakotsu was asleep, but was just checking to make sure. There was a silence for a few minutes, and Jakotsu was relieved. She had probably left…

There was a soft thump, beside Jakotsu, as someone sat on the floor beside him.

_What the hell? _Jakotsu wondered angrily. What was she doing?

"This is stupid talking to a sleeping person I guess…forgive me but I want to vent a little. Threes no one else who's awake who will listen to my problems…" Sayo's voice sounded soft and vulnerable. And slightly sad.

"I guess…I don't want to marry you." Jakotsu almost sat up. Why was Sayo doing this? It was so weird!

"I know…these days that's how so many people marry…its what' expected of me. I can't apologize to you when you're awake. So I want to now. I can't help it. I…I'm sorry but I love someone else."

_Of course you do. I do as well. _Jakotsu thought.

"You know your friend…Hikaru. He cares for you so much you know. I used to watch you two and get jealous. You guys had such a good friendship. I always wanted to have a close friend, as well. Jakotsu…you must forgive him, and keep your friendship. No matter what, he does. A friendship like yours should live on until you both die."

Jakotsu was struggling to keep his breathing even. Under his eyelids he felt hot tears gather. Damn! He didn't want to cry, especially not now.

"Um…well alright. Farewell Jakotsu…" He heard Sayo stand and listened to her walk away from the door. Finally the door swung open and then closed.

Jakotsu opened his eyes. He sat up and looked at the bag Sayo had left on the ground. It was, as she had said, a bag of buns. He picked them up. _Sayo…Your wrong…our friendship is far from perfect…it's far from beautiful. _It just showed how little others knew of Jakotsu. They believed his fake smiles, his cheerful attitude, without questioning the hurt in his eyes.

Although…Hikaru. Jakotsu imagined if they weren't friends. He would never get to see Hikaru's lovely face. Or his pretty brown eyes. _Is it better…to be with Hikaru, and suffer, or never see Hikaru, and not suffer? _

"I'll go apologize about my behavior to Hikaru, tomorrow." Jakotsu decided.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Jakotsu felt his heart flutter in his chest. He was walking to Hikaru's house, ready to apologize.

The image of Hikaru's face fluttered through Jakotsu's mind.

"Oh who am I kidding…I'm so nervous…how can I sum up the nerve to talk to him?" Jakotsu sighed. It was stupid…why was he nervous about seeing Hikaru? He saw his friend practically all the time. Why was today so different? Looking back, Jakotsu thought his feelings at that time might have been a premonition. A warning of the events that were to follow. But at that moment, had no idea of what was going to happen. He continued walking towards Hikaru's house.

_I can't do it. _Jakotsu thought. He dug his nails into the palm of his hand. He hated himself for being so weak.

_I'll sit by the river for a bit…that will calm me down. _He turned around, and began heading for the riverside. It was an abnormally nice day. The sakura trees were now in full bloom, and the temperature was perfect, with just the hint of a breeze. It was a good day to sit by the river and relax.

Jakotsu pushed away a few branches, of trees and bushes, which grew along the riverside. He stepped into the clearing beside the river.

Jakotsu smiled a little, at the site of the river, its water flowing as sakura petals blew into the water. The scene was picturesque, with flowers strewn along the ground, and petals everywhere.

Then he froze. At first his brain refused to register the site. He felt no pain at first. He was in shock.

There, standing amidst the pretty sight, was Hikaru and Sayo. Kissing. Hikaru had his arms around her. They were so into what they were doing, that they didn't notice Jakotsu's presence.

The numbness faded. The shock ended. Jakotsu felt the full fury of pain and rage, strike him. For a moment Jakotsu couldn't see. Everything was red and blurry.

"Hi…Hikaru!" The shout burst out of Jakotsu before he could stop it.

Hikaru lifted his head. His eyes widened when he saw Jakotsu.

"Jakotsu!" Hikaru released Sayo, and backed away looking horrified. He looked like what Jakotsu felt. Except Jakotsu probably felt one hundred times worse then Hikaru. The pain was ripping at his heart, and crushing it. Everything hurt so much!

"Hikaru…how could…why…?" Jakotsu couldn't speak. Even if he could, there would be no words to describe what he was feeling.

"I'm sorry Jakotsu!" Hikaru said, his voice desperate. "But…I love Sayo! And…I always thought you didn't care about her…I didn't know you would mind."

Jakotsu's heart was breaking. His dear friend…of course he didn't know the way Jakotsu felt. Jakotsu didn't care about Sayo…he cared about Hikaru. He wanted to be the one that Hikaru was holding…he wanted to be kissed.

"Jakotsu…you must forgive him, and keep your friendship. No matter what, he does. A friendship like yours should live on until you both die."

Sayo's voice echoed through Jakotsu's head. He knew at this point their friendship was in repairable…in his mind he was imagining all the times where he and Hikaru had played together, laughing and joking. He remembered the butterfly hair clip, Hikaru has given him. Now…what would happen? Would they still be able to laugh and play? Jakotsu wanted to believe that, but in his heart he knew it wasn't so.

_But…Hikaru! I don't want to lose him! _

Jakotsu felt a wave of desperation strike him. The words flew from his lips before he could stop them

"Hikaru…I…I love you!"

Immediately after Jakotsu said it, he felt regret. He wished he could snatch up the words again and stuff them back into his mouth. But it was too late.

Hikaru's face made him go on. It was a mix of emotions…bewilderment, sadness, and grief.

The words pored from Jakotsu's mouth. "Hikaru, I'm not upset over Sayo…you were right. I don't care much for her…its you who I'm hurting for."

Hikaru's eyes widened.

"I have never said it before, but I love you! And…and I cant imagine living without you with me." Jakotsu was crying now…he hadn't realized it earlier, but now thick tears were dripping onto his neck, and rolling down onto his clothes. They fell onto the ground below. Jakotsu willed himself to look at Hikaru.

Hikaru's face was a mask of horror and disbelief. He looked as if he had seen a ghost…like Jakotsu was a ghost…or a monster.

At that moment a part of Jakotsu snapped. He knew from one look at Hikaru's expression, that their friendship was destroyed.

Among the falling sakura petals, Jakotsu ran.

He sound of his feet pounding against the ground rang through his ears. He was sobbing now, unable to stop the heaves that wracked his body. His eyes grew too blurred to see.

_Father…I need you now!_ In that moment of agony, Jakotsu had forgotten his father was away…he just wanted to be with his father so he could be comforted. Before he knew it, Jakotsu was bursting through the door of his home.

"Father!" Jakotsu stopped.

Kiko was standing still inside the house. In her hand she was holding apiece of paper. Her face has a far away look of disbelief, as if she were in shock. Right then, Jakotsu remembered how his father wasn't there.

_No! I need you here now, father!_

Kiko's far away eyes, focused on Jakotsu. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

Finally she spoke. Her voice was oddly flat and emotionless. "Jakotsu…Reisuki is dead."

Jakotsu stared at Kiko. He must have heard wrong…Kiko just said…Reisuki was dead. It couldn't be!

Kiko spoke again. This time her voice trembled slightly. "The messenger from Shigakoku, just arrived a few minutes ago…Reisuki has died, while fighting a demon."

Everything blurred. Jakotsu couldn't see, couldn't think, couldn't hear. He felt like his body was crumbling to ashes, like his mind was snapping into two…for a moment he grew dizzy…then everything turned black.


	6. chapter 6

Jakotsu woke, with a horrible feeling in his chest. With a jolt, he remembered the events that had happened previously. _Please let it be a dream._ He thought. _It has to be a dream…soon Reisuki will come walking through the door smiling, and Hikaru will be outside, shouting for me to come outside. _Yet in Jakotsu's heart, he knew what had just happened was not a dream. It was real. Sitting up, and pulling his knees to his chest, Jakotsu wept.

After a while, Jakotsu lifted his head and forced himself to stand. A small part of him, realized there was a burning small in the air, although he didn't care much. He felt so empty.

Kiko suddenly stepped inside. She looked surprised when she saw Jakotsu.

"Oh…your awake." Her voice was colder then usual. Jakotsu didn't reply. Instead his eyes focused on what Kiko was carrying. In her arms, she held a very large wooden crate. Even though the box was big, the size wasn't what made Jakotsu stare at it. His eyes were focusing on the neat letters JAKOTSU printed on the side of the box.

It was in Reisuki's writing.

Kiko noticed his attention. She was silent a moment before bringing her eyes up to his. "Jakotsu…I want you to get out, right now."

Jakotsu didn't answer. He merely stared blankly at Kiko.

Her gaze hardened. "Your father…. he was always too soft on you. I want you to get out. Don't ever come back." She turned her back to Jakotsu. "Your not my son anymore."

Jakotsu finally spoke. "What's in the box?" He was surprised at how calm his voice sounded, despite the hell he had just been through.

Kiko flinched. "Its none of your business. Get out!" Before he knew what he was doing, Jakotsu grabbed the box roughly out of Kiko's hands. With one arm, he shoved Kiko with all his might. She collapsed on the floor in a pathetic heap, looking shocked. After all, Jakotsu had never laid a finger on her before.

But that was the old Jakotsu.

Jakotsu looked down at the box. There were some more words printed at the top of the box. _Kiko…if anything happens to me, give this to Jakotsu. _Jakotsu looked at Kiko.

"You weren't planning to give this to me, were you?" His voice was quiet. Jakotsu could easily guess what Kiko's plan was. She had built a fire outside, and had been planning on throwing the box into the flames.

Kiko didn't answer. She simply stared up at Jakotsu. He thought he saw fear in her eyes.

"Bitch." This time there was anger in Jakotsu's voice. His hand flew out, and without thinking he slapped Kiko, hard.

Then, clutching the gigantic box under one arm, he fled.

Panting, Jakotsu stopped in the middle of the forest. He had been about to go to the riverside, when he realized that was the last place he wanted to go. He could never face the place where he had spent so many good times with Reisuki, and Hikaru.

Jakotsu sat down. He allowed himself to catch his breath, before looking at the wooden crate. Carefully, Jakotsu picked up a branch from the ground. He wedged it between the lids of the crate, and pried it open. Jakotsu gasped. He couldn't help it. Inside the box, lay a giant and beautiful sword. It was at least five feet long. Jakotsu grasped the handle. It was quite heavy as well. A piece of paper fluttered to the ground. Jakotsu picked it up, and unfolded it. Tears welled up in his eyes, as he recognized Reisuki's writing. Cautiously, Jakotsu began to read.

Dear Jakotsu 

_If you are reading this, it means I am no longer here. I know you must be mourning my death very much, but please, don't worry. I don't want you to grieve, for even as I write this, the thought of you crying, pains me. _

_My dear son, with this letter, I have left you my old sword, the Jakotsutou. It was the sword I used in my youth, and is your namesake. I loved this sword very much, and hope you will learn its many techniques, as well. _

_I guess there's something else I have to tell you…I'm hoping I have already told you, but If I haven't I am sorry and I hope you will forgive me. I have tried to tell you many times before, but whenever I try, I find myself unable to speak. I guess I'm really a coward…I know Kiko may seem unreasonably hard on you at times, but I want you to know that it is not your fault…In fact if there is anyone to be blamed it is me…you see, after I married Kiko I fell in love with another woman. I can't explain why…I guess I really am weak, and I'm sorry. You are the product of that love, Jakotsu…I guess Kiko could never accept you. Please know that you did nothing wrong to deserve such cruelty. It is me, who should be punished._

_I want you to know, Jakotsu, that I love you very much. I know that your life seems so hard. You are only a child, yet sometimes when I look in your eyes I see a look of pain. Then you smile, like everything is all right, and I am almost convinced that you are happy. I want you to be happy…please keep that childlike innocence that I always see in you. Even though life may seem tough at times, don't give up, because I'll be there for you always._

_Reisuki._

Jakotsu folded the letter up and stuck it in his pocket. Lifting the Jakotsutou, he studied his reflection in the mirror. He looked so…normal…aside from the pain and bitterness in his eyes, Jakotsu looked like any other boy. You would never be able to tell from looking at him that he was gay.

"Woman…Woman are all whores!" The words burst from his mouth, before he could stop them. Sayo…Kiko…they had caused him so much misery in his life. Jakotsu couldn't understand how straight men liked them. Jakotsu felt a burst of anger surge through him. _I never want someone to think I might be attracted to those repulsive beings. _Jakotsu thought bitterly. It was strange…It had been only a day, but Jakotsu felt like he had totally changed in the last 12 hours. He was a new person, but yet looked totally the same. Jakotsu remembered his father's words…_ "Please keep that childlike innocence that I always see in you." _"I'm sorry father…but that Jakotsu is dead." Jakotsu briefly remembered the dream he had had, in what seemed so long ago.

"_I'm dead…I cant be found." _The young Jakotsu had said.

Jakotsu paused and slid his hand into his pocket. He withdrew the butterfly hairpin that Hikaru had given him. He felt a stab of pain, as he remembered Hikaru's gentle teasing, about how weird it was that Jakotsu liked a girl's hairpin. Studying his reflection, Jakotsu pined his ponytail to the rest of his hair.

It was the birth of Jakotsu.


	7. Chapter 7

It had been years since Jakotsu had fled from his home. He was now a completely different person. He now had a long, pink and green kimono to match his butterfly hairpin. He wore that over plates of armor. Jakotsu had also began wearing lip stick and dark purple eye shadow, in two long streaks running vertically from the bottom of his eyes.

Jakotsu had been training with the Jakotsutou for a long time. He had now completely mastered its technique, of extending a long distance, like a snake. It was an amazing weapon. Jakotsu had used it many times to rob villages. He wasn't interested in the money he stole…mostly he killed for entertainment. It was sometimes very boring, living alone. Anyways, some of the villages had _very _hot guys. But…it hurt often to look at those guys, knowing he couldn't have any of them. Every pretty face only reminded him of Hikaru, which made Jakotsu angry.

Sometimes Jakotsu felt lonely…He felt like no man would ever love him. When he thought of this, rage boiled through him, and he wanted so much to hurt the ones he was attracted to. As he had robbed villages, he found his hands at the throat of some handsome guy, laughing as he cut at the man's chest. It felt _so _good to cut the flesh of beautiful men.

Jakotsu sighed, lifting his head to the sun. At the moment he was laying in a grassy field, his head resting on a rock. What should I do today? He wondered. _Shall I find some pretty, young male to play with? Or practice using my Jakotsutou? _

Jakotsu was startled from his thoughts, when he heard shouts of anger, coming closer to him. Surprised, he stood up. There, in the distance, he saw a group of men running.

"There he is! That guy who attacked our village!" The men shouted. At first Jakotsu thought they were talking about him, he lifted his sword, ready to battle. That's when he noticed the young man.

He was young, around 16, but his eyes looked much older. He had a leaders face, very strong, and confidant. His long hair was kept, in a braid, and he carried a gigantic sword, that was as tall and as wide as it's owner. Jakotsu wondered who he was. He was definitely very good looking.

Jakotsu watched, as the man looked over his shoulder, at the group of men running towards him. His face, which was puzzled for a second, then turned to amusement. He turned to face the men.

"You…." A particularly fat villager wheezed. He clutched an axe in his hand. "You'll pay for attacking our village. Prepare to die!"

The man looked very calm. He smiled. "There will be many dead body's left here. But none of them will be mine."

The fat villagers eyes narrowed. "Why you…attack!" Arrows flew, as the villagers rushed forward. The man raised his gigantic swords and attacked.

Jakotsu grinned. A battle! How fun…sadly it wouldn't last long. He ran across the felid, joining the young man. He slashed his sword, and sliced in half an arrow that flew towards him.

"Who the hell are you?" The man asked. Even though the words were rude, his tone was casual.

"Oh…just someone who wants to have fun right now." Jakotsu lashed out with the Jakotsutou, and multiple blades unfolded from it, extending out and killing a villager.

The man grunted in reply.

As Jakotsu predicted, the battle lasted, maybe a minute. Soon dead bodies piled the ground. "That was way too short." Jakotsu said, pouting. "Oh well…I'll be off now." Jakotsu began walking away.

"Wait!"

Jakotsu turned, feeling pleased. "Hm?"

The man hesitated. "What's your name?"

Jakotsu laughed. Oh how lucky he was! A cute guy had asked his name! "Jakotsu…and what's the name of someone as sexy looking as you?"

The young man frowned a little, looking slightly annoyed, yet still cute. "I'm Bankotsu."

Jakotsu grinned. "Well see you later Bankotsu." He turned again and began walking.

"Hey…Jakotsu." Once again Jakotsu turned to face Bankotsu.

"Your pretty strong." Bankotsu said.

"Thanks. So are you! Your face is _so _cute when you're fighting" Jakotsu replied.

Bankotsu looked up at Jakotsu, and for a moment Jakotsu felt confused. This guy…right now he wasn't even thinking that Jakotsu was gay. He didn't care that he was gay at all. All he cared about was that Jakotsu was strong. Jakotsu felt his face flush slightly.

"What do you think…you and me join together? We could create a powerful army of men."

Jakotsu grinned. "Wow, my heart was pounding, cus I thought you were gonna ask me out!" Jakotsu paused. "That doesn't sound like such a bad idea though, a small army of men…we could have a group of cute men!"

Bankotsu chuckled. "What are you talking about? We need _strong _men, not _cute _ones!"

Jakotsu scratched his head. "Oh yeah, If they were cute, I'd probably end up cutting them up. I'm such a idiot!" He laughed as well.

And together, they walked off, in search of strong warriors.


	8. Chapter 8

Their army of men soon grew. They had suikotsu, with his sharp, deadly claws, Renkotsu, able to attack with fire, Mukotsu, the poison user, Kyoukotsu, with his extreme strength, and finally Ginkotsu, the human tank. They were called the Shichinintai, the seven-man army, whose strength rivaled an army of one thousand, soldiers. They had made quite a reputation of themselves.

Jakotsu yawned and stretched backwards. "I'm bored." He said. "What are we going to do, today, Bankotsu?"

Bankotsu had become the leader of the Shichinintai. He was, their fearless leader, knowing exactly what to do, under any circumstance. Jakotsu had come to adore him. It was true, that Bankotsu was very good looking, but what Jakotsu felt for him, was mostly loyalty. He was still hot, though.

"Lets take a break today, and relax." Bankotsu took a sip of sake, from his cup.

"We did that yesterday too…" Renkotsu murmured.

Out of all the members of the Shichinintai, Renkotsu was the one who Jakotsu worried about the most. All the other members seemed to be quite loyal to Bankotsu, and were perfectly happy to follow under his leadership. But, there was something about Renkotsu…he seemed unhappy about Bankotsu being the leader. Jakotsu knew, that Bankotsu was aware of this, but didn't seem overly concerned about it.

"Hey, Jakotsu, it's a shame you cant tolerate woman." Bankotsu said, ignoring Renkotsu's comment. "I could use a pretty lady here, right now."

Jakotsu pouted. "What do you mean Bankotsu?" He asked, teasingly. "I thought that, I Jakotsu was all you ever needed." He slid over to Bankotsu, and put his arms around him.

Bankotsu sighed, his face exasperated. "You need to find a boyfriend, Jakotsu." He patted Jakotsu's head.

"But you're so _cute _Ba-kun!" Jakotsu felt Bankotsu stiffen. He was no longer listening to Jakotsu's flirtatious words. Curious, Jakotsu turned his head to face the direction Bankotsu was looking.

Standing a few meters away from them, were a group of men. They wore heavy armor, and the sheath of swords, hung from their sides.

Bankotsu slowly stood, an amused smile on his face. "You must want to die, pretty badly, coming here." He rested his fingers on the handle of his banryuu, the gigantic sword that he affectionately called his "baby."

Suddenly, the men all bowed, bending onto one knee. Jakotsu felt baffled, and probably looked it, too. What were these people doing here?

"We are very sorry to have disturbed you." Said one man, in the front.

"What do you want, here?" asked Bankotsu.

"The daimyo sent us." The man said. Jakotsu's eyes widened in surprise. The daimyo? What did the daimyo, want with the Shichinintai?

The man shuffled, looking vaguely uncomfortable.

"The daimyo have heard of you, and are very interested. You call yourselves the seven man army, do you not?"

Bankotsu nodded.

"Your strength would be very valuable to the daimyo…and of course you would be very handsomely paid, if you were to work under them…"

Jakotsu felt totally shocked for a second. Then a thrill of curiosity ran through him. This was just what the Shichintai had been looking for! A job! He looked at Bankotsu.

For a moment Jakotsu saw a flash of interest in Bankotsu's eyes, before he concealed it.

"We'll think about it." Said Bankotsu, his voice cool and in command. "Now will you please leave us for a while?"

"We'll come back in 2 days, to see if you have made your decision." The group of men bowed again, and disappeared into the forest where they had came from.

As soon as they had left, Mukotsu spoke. "This is perfect, leader! The reason we traveled into this direction was because we were looking for a job…"

Chatter broke out among the Shichinintai, Bankotsu and Jakotsu not included.

"Hey! Quiet down!" Bankotsu ordered. "Me and Jakotsu are going to be gone for a while. Renkotsu, you be in charge until I'm gone."

Bankotsu turned, and began quickly walking away. Jakotsu blinked. "Ah, wait, Bankotsu!" Jakotsu ran to catch up. He caught Bankotsu's arm.

"Um…do you really think its safe to leave Renkotsu in charge?" Jakotsu asked Bankotsu, as soon as they were out of earshot.

Bankotsu laughed. "Renkotsu is certainly very annoying, but I don't think he can cause any real trouble. The other members wouldn't listen to him if he tried to plan anything treacherous."

They continued walking in silence for a while. Jakotsu liked the feeling of walking beside Bankotsu but was a bit puzzled as well. The idea that Bankotsu had asked Jakotsu to walk with him was a slightly baffling. _I certainly don't mind though…_Jakotsu thought. A smile drifted across his lips.

Jakotsu looked up at his leader. He seemed to be in deep thought, with his eyes on the ground, while he walked. He suddenly looked up at Jakotsu.

"Jakotsu, what do you think of working for the daimyo?" Bankotsu stared at Jakotsu intently.

"Um…well…I…" Jakotsu paused. "Why are you asking me, Bankotsu-aniki?"

"Because I trust your judgment, Jakotsu." Said Bankotsu. His voice was matter-of-fact.

For the third time of the day Jakotsu was surprised.

"Oh…thanks." Warmth spread through Jakotsu's chest.

"So…?" Bankotsu asked inquiringly.

Jakotsu flushed "Oh…well what do you think?" Bankotsu was quiet for a moment.

"I think it would be a good opportunity…we would be able to live comfortably under the pay of the daimyo. But I'm curious to see what you think." He looked at Jakotsu.

"Well…I think it would be interesting to work under them…however…"

"Yes?" Bankotsu asked.

"The daimyo do seem slightly untrustworthy…." Jakotsu shook his head. "That might not be true though. I'm not always right about people…" An image of Hikaru smiling at him suddenly flashed through his mind. Even after all these years, Jakotsu still had trouble forgetting his first love. He pushed the image from his head, with an angry shove, and focused back onto Bankotsu.

"Besides we'll be able to take care of ourselves, if anything bad should happen right?" Jakotsu tilted his head, looking up at Bankotsu.

Bankotsu nodded. "Yeah…thanks Jakotsu. Sometimes I feel like you're the only one I can trust."

Jakotsu laughed. "Thanks, but that's not true, Bankotsu-kun. All the Shichinintai are very loyal to you." He paused. "Well except maybe Renkotsu, but don't let him bother you!"

Bankotsu chuckled. "I shouldn't should I?" He smiled at Jakotsu. "It's a shame you weren't a woman, Jakotsu, you would make some guy very happy."

Jakotsu made a face. "Yuck, then I'd be a gross woman filth. Don't worry, I'm lucky to have you, aniki-kun!"


	9. Chapter 9

"Wow….so this is where we'll be staying?" Jakotsu looked around wide-eyed, at the large house, as he stepped into it.

"Yes, for as long as you work for the daimyo, this house will be provided for you." Said one of the men leading the Shichinintai. Jakotsu, who was used to living in a small, single roomed house, when he was younger, was awed by the multi-roomed house he was now in.

"If we have need of you, we will contact you. You should be prepared to do battle at all times."

After much talking, the Shichinintai decided to work for the daimyo. The pay _was _very good, and the daimyo also provided them with a place to stay, so they all had thought it was a pretty good idea.

So now they were employed.

The days went by quickly, with the Shichinintai often being rushed off to fight armies from different lands. The armies were always very large, with thousands of soldiers, however the Shichinintai had no problem beating them.

In-between battles, Jakotsu and Bankotsu often relaxed with each other. Jakotsu mostly just felt brotherly love for Bankotsu, and was sure Bankotsu felt the same. Plus, Bankotsu was totally straight. Bankotsu was _very _fun to flirt with, though.

One memory, Jakotsu was quite fond of. Later, in the bleaker times of his life, Jakotsu looked back at it with a bittersweet happiness. It happened on a gorgeous day, where the sun was bright and the fields full of blooming flowers. The Shichinintai had no battles to fight on that day, so Bankotsu and Jakotsu walked in the field, with Jakotsu gazing dreamily into the blue sky. They were chatting about one of their previous battles, when Jakotsu tripped on Bankotsu's foot. He landed straight on his face.

"Jakotsu!" Bankotsu said loudly, looking down at Jakotsu. His expression amused Jakotsu. It was one of shocked concern, and Jakotsu couldn't help laughing a bit, when he saw it.

"Really, Jakotsu, you should pay more attention to where you're going!" He looked worried.

"You should keep you're feet away from me!" said Jakotsu playfully. He took Bankotsu's hand, and pulled himself up.

"Are you okay?" Guilt had mixed with the concerned look on Bankotsu's face, which made Jakotsu giggle even more.

"I'm totally fine...How about you though?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean are you going to be able to live with the guilt, from the knowledge that you tripped me?"

Bankotsu laughed. "Yeah, yeah, I feel so guilty…I might starve myself." His voice was full of sarcasm.

"That's not fair, Bankotsu. I think you should give me a kiss as a way of apologizing." Jakotsu gave Bankotsu a wicked smile, and batted his lashes.

Bankotsu stopped laughing. He still wore an amused smile, however.

"Jakotsu…"

"Come on Aniki, you owe me!"

"Tell you what, Jakotsu…If you can catch me, I'll give you a kiss."

"Hmm? Oh!"

But Bankotsu was already running, across the field, in great bursts of speed. He looked back at Jakotsu and waved.

_He's really fast! _Jakotsu thought. He began running, laughing as he ran. However, it seemed although Bankotsu was fast, Jakotsu had way more endurance…after awhile Bankotsu began to slow.

"Seems like I'm going to get a kiss today!" Jakotsu called out, happily. He was just a few meters away from Bankotsu now! So close…

Jakotsu put on an extra burst of speed, and shortened the distance by a few feet. Closer…

Jakotsu reached out. He could almost touch Bankotsu!

"Gotcha!" Jakotsu lunged forward and collapsed onto Bankotsu. They both fell down, in a messy tangle of limbs. Jakotsu panted trying to catch his breath. Bankotsu was doing the same.

"I….win…" Jakotsu managed to say, through breathless pants of exhaustion.

Just then Suikotsu came over the hill, followed by Mukotsu. They stopped and stared.

"Its not what it…" That's as much as Bankotsu got out, before Jakotsu interrupted.

"Oh hi! Me and Bankotsu were just fooling around, before you came!" He said brightly.

Bankotsu's face flushed, into a shade of deep red. It really was quite funny to see Bankotsu blush.

Suikotsu chuckled, and nodded at Bankotsu. "Don't worry, I understand." The other members of the Shichinintai were all familiar with Jakotsu's habit of flirting with Bankotsu.

"I've just come to tell you that there has been a surprise attack, on the lords castle. They think it's an army from the continent, and the daimyo expect us to be there right away." Suikotsu didn't sound overly worried.

"We're sorry to have interrupted you." Mukotsu said, a slight smirk on his face.

Bankotsu could only blush more.

"Okay, I'm coming!" Jakotsu chirped. He jumped to his feet, and followed Suikotsu and Mukotsu across the field. But before he went, he could have sworn he saw a small smile on Bankotsu's lips.

On the battlefield, lay the slain bodies of hundreds of soldiers. Jakotsu recognized the armor, as the armor of the soldiers who worked under the same daimyo that the Shichinintai did. They rushed up against the other army, only to be beaten by the sheer numbers of soldiers.

"Finally!" One of the soldiers that worked for the daimyo limped to Jakotsu. "We were worried you guys wouldn't show up."

"What's happening?" Asked Jakotsu, although it was already pretty obvious.

"We were hit by a surprise attack. We tried to drive them away, but there's too many of them."

Jakotsu peered across the rows of dieing soldiers, and saw a huge army of soldiers with black markings on their faces. Jakotsu had never seen an army so large before! There must have been not a thousand soldiers, but _thousands_.

Suddenly a spear ripped through the chest of the soldier, who Jakotsu had been questioning. Dark blood, ran from the wound, and spurted from the young man's mouth. Then he fell forward, collapsing at Jakotsu's feet, his blank eyes staring lifelessly, up at Jakotsu.

"Heh, heh…are you gonna be next?"

Jakotsu found himself looking into the eyes of a soldier whose face was marked with black. His voice was thick with an accent.

Jakotsu unsheathed his Jakotsutou. "I don't think so." He hissed, before slicing off the soldier's head.

And then the fight was on.

There were soldiers surrounding him. Jakotsu couldn't remember the last time he had fought so hard. It seemed like every time Jakotsu killed one, another would be in front of him, slashing a sword.

A cold blade, slashed into Jakotsu's arm. He gave a small cry of pain, and slashed out wildly. The thrill of the battle…Jakotsu could feel adrenaline coursing through his veins. Everything turned red. From the corner of his eye, Jakotsu could see Suikotsu rip out the heart of a man. Mukotsu was throwing poisonous powder at the enemy. Bankotsu was swinging his banryuu, a strangely hungry look in his eyes as he slashed. All of them…all of the Shichinintai were swept up in the thrill of fighting. The next thing he knew, Jakotsu was standing in an empty field, piled high with bodies.

During the fight, Jakotsu had hardly noticed how tired he had been. Now his muscles ached and his breaths came out in ragged pants. He was covered head to toe, in blood. He suddenly remembered the other Shichinintai. Were they all right? Jakotsu looked around, and to his relief, he saw them all, standing in the bloodstained field. They were panting slightly, and Mukotsu was clutching his arm, but other then that, they were fine.

"Shichinintai!" The voice came from behind Jakotsu, and he turned to see a man on a horse riding towards them. Jakotsu recognized the man as the one who had asked them to work for the daimyo, and had showed the Shichinintai their house. His name was Kyouta.

"You…you did well." There was something funny in his expression, something Jakotsu couldn't quite lay a finger on…

Bankotsu nodded. "That was a good battle. Come on." The last to works had been for the Shichinintai. He began walking in long strides, away from the battlefield. The rest of the seven-man army began to follow. Jakotsu hesitated, looking at Kyouta. Was it his imagination, or did Kyouta's breathing seem irregular?

"Jakotsu, are you coming?" Jakotsu was interrupted from his thoughts, when he heard Renkotsu's voice.

"Oh…yeah." With one quick look back at Kyouta, Jakotsu hurried to catch up with his fellow Shichinintai.

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When the Shichinintai were out of view, Kyouta took a chance to survey the battlefield. In his time as a solider and the lord's messenger, he had seen many gruesome sights before, and usually the sight of blood did not bother him. However, he could not help noticing the many detached limbs, and organs that covered the field.

He turned his horse around and rode, heading straight to the lords castle.

Lord Misaki was a relatively young lord. He wasn't the best lord, but he wasn't bad either, so most of the people under his rule, respected him, as they were supposed to respect their lords.

When Kyouta reached the lords sitting room, he almost forgot to knock, but luckily he remembered at the last second, and rapped his fist on Lord Misaki's door.

"Come in." the deep voice called out.

Kyouta stepped inside. He bowed slightly, as he walked forward.

The Lord was drinking tea. Kyouta briefly thought to himself, how inappropriate a time it was to be tea drinking. The castle had just been surprised attacked, and they had lost hundreds, maybe thousands of soldiers on the field, yet the Lord still had time to lounge around, and drink tea! The lord looked up at Kyouta expectantly.

"It is good to see you are unharmed, Kyouta. Really, you do not have to fight in those battles if you do not want to. You are a very valuable messenger to me." His face was friendly, a smile on his lips.

"I am only doing my duty. I feel honored to fight for you, my lord."

The lord laughed. "How did the Shichinintai do? This army was quite a bit larger then the other ones they have fought. I suppose I need to send doctors for them…oh, do I need funerals for any of them?" Lord Misaki sighed. "It will have to be a grand funeral so the remaining ones will be satisfied…"

Kyouta cleared his throat. "Actually…none of them are dead."

The lord blinked. "That's…incredible…"

"In fact…none of them are even injured." This bothered Kyouta quite a bit. He had known they were strong, but this…so many of Kyouta's comrades had died that day, and yet the Shichinintai were barely scratched.

"Then they are much more stronger then we expected them to be. We have an invincible army on our hands!" The lord sounded pleased, but Kyouta thought he heard uncertainness under the pleasant tone.

"Lord if I may say so…. I'm am slightly worried about them."

The lord stared at Kyouta. "Why is that?"

"Well…they are growing stronger, I think. They are human, and yet they have the strength of demons. I am afraid…I'm afraid that soon we might be unable to control them. If they grew any stronger…and the decided they did not want to work under the daimyo anymore…what would happen?"

A flashback from the battle suddenly burned in Kyouta's brain. It was of one of them, the one with the snakelike sword, slicing through the air. His eyes were filled with savage pleasure, as his sword found its victim. He drew the blade towards his mouth and licked the blade, laughing as he did so. His laugh was chilling, slightly feminine, and full of murderous intent. Despite the warmth of the room, Kyouta shivered.

Lord Misaki was now looking quite troubled.

"I will think about this problem. It is very worrisome…" His brow furrowed. "You may leave Kyouta."

"Yes, my lord."

Bowing, Kyouta left the room.


	10. Chapter 10

"Jakotsu, what's with the pout?" Suikotsu asked Jakotsu.

"I'm not pouting!" Jakotsu snapped back. He wasn't pouting either, but obviously the sourness he was feeling showed on his face.

"Ah, he's just being grumpy." Bankotsu said. "He's been like this for a few days now."

Bankotsu looked annoyed. For awhile, he had tried to persuade Jakotsu to tell him what was the matter, but Jakotsu had simply shaken his head and said "Nothings the matter." Jakotsu could tell it bothered Bankotsu, that he would not tell Bankotsu what was wrong. Jakotsu didn't want to worry Bankotsu, but he couldn't help it.

The truth was that Jakotsu was in a very bad mood.

A few days an ago, the Shichinintai had received a message from the shogun, informing them to travel to a small village, to the north, at the base of the mountains. There, they would meet up with the Shogun army, and help attack the village. The village was approximately a 5 days journey away from where the Shichinintai was staying. They had begun traveling two days ago. Just south of the village, was another small village called Muribito…funny how that even now, after years had past, Jakotsu still remembered exactly where his childhood village was located. Muribito, the village where Jakotsu had spent the earlier years of his life. To make things worse, Jakotsu's Birthday was coming up, in exactly 4 days. The same amount of time it would take to reach Muribito.

Jakotsu's memories of his past birthdays weren't great. Mostly he remembered Reisuki, away fighting demons, and Kiko ignoring him, not even realizing it was his birthday. _Not that she would care even if she did know. _Jakotsu hadn't even bothered to tell her. But Hikaru had always been there. They would sit together buy the river, and laugh. And then Hikaru would give Jakotsu something. It was usually small; a birdcall carved from wood, or an origami animal, but Jakotsu had treasured these things. It was more of the fact that Jakotsu was getting a gift, then the gift itself that had made him happy. It showed that someone cared for him, and paid close enough attention to know when Jakotsu's birthday was. Hikaru…they saying went that you never forgot your first love. Hikaru hadn't just been a crush to Hikaru; he had really been in love with him. He had thought of Hikaru constantly. It had been like an obsession. And with the feelings of Joy that came with being around Hikaru, there had also been angst that they couldn't be together.

_But it's not like that anymore! _Jakotsu insisted to himself. And it was true. True…there wasn't a day that went by when Jakotsu didn't think of Hikaru at least once. But now at least the feelings of happiness or sadness didn't accompany those thoughts. Mostly something would happen in the day, which reminded Jakotsu of Hikaru. Like, when Jakotsu walked beside a river, he would think of Hikaru. And when he saw sakura blossoms…the memory flashed through Jakotsu's head. Hikaru and Sayo, kissing softly, while falling sakura petals blew in the wind.

Jakotsu pushed the thought from his head.

"I'm just tired." Jakotsu said. "We still have so many days till we get there!"

But even though Jakotsu still thought of Hikaru, the feelings of pain and lust, when Hikaru's face flashed through his mind, had disappeared. Still…Jakotsu couldn't help but to feel worried about going back to his old hometown…

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_Its ok…it's going to be all right. _Jakotsu chanted this to himself. _Its fine Jakotsu, its fine! _Oh god, they were getting closer…the Shichinintai were now walking on the dirt path that led to Jakotsu's village. _What could possibly go wrong Jakotsu? _He asked himself. Nothing! It made absolutely no sense that Jakotsu was so scared. Jakotsu could feel his nails clenching into the palm of his hands. _Its okay, its okay, its okay…_The image came to him again, Sayo and Hikaru, under the sakura trees, while the petals swirled around them. _It's fine, its fine, its fine…_Jakotsu suddenly, twitched, a sharp pain biting into his palm. He held up his hand, and saw blood trickling, down from four indents on his palm. Jakotsu quickly pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped it around his hand. He threw a look around him, to see if any of the other Shichinintai had noticed. Luckily they hadn't.

"The weather looks pretty bad." Suikotsu said worriedly, peering into the sky. He was right. For once, the weather actually matched Jakotsu's mood. The sky was dark with thick gray clouds, which had been steadily advancing in the Shichinintai direction. It looked like it might rain soon.

"It better not rain." Bankotsu mumbled. "We might get to our destination late if it does." Just as Bankotsu finished his sentence, the heavens opened up, and the rain began to fall.

"Damn!" Bankotsu cursed.

"Talk about ironic." Mukotsu grumbled.

The rain continued to fall. It was heavy, but not so bad that the Shichinintai would stop for shelter. Jakotsu knew Bankotsu would simply tell them to press on. _Please don't rain any harder! _Jakotsu prayed. If the rain got any worse, they might be forced to take shelter in Muribito. That would be the worse case scenario.

It was so cold! Jakotsu shivered, rubbing his hands over his arms.

"Come on. Lets keep moving." Bankotsu said.

"In this type of weather?" Renkotsu asked. His kimono was soaked with water. Jakotsu's was too.

"Its not too bad. We've got to keep moving." Bankotsu held Renkotsu's eyes, until Renkotsu dropped his gaze.

"Yes Aniki-san" He said.

They kept going on. Soon, the weather got so bad they could barely walk, only stumble blindly, and keep the wind from blowing into their eyes. Even Kyoukotsu, whose body was enormous, felt fatigued by the weather.

Jakotsu saw Bankotsu's lips moving, but couldn't hear him over the wind.

"What?" He yelled.

"I said…" The rest of Bankotsu's words were lost.

"Sorry, I can't hear you!"

Bankotsu dragged himself towards Jakotsu, and leaned his head forwards. Jakotsu couldn't help it, but his gave a flutter, as Bankotsu placed his lips near Jakotsu's ear. Jakotsu had frozen icicles lining the bottom of his sleeves, and could no longer feel his fingers, but he blushed at Bankotsu's closeness.

"Do you know what that thing is over there?" Bankotsu asked. He pointed into the distance, where a dark shape could be seen, through the blur of the rain.

"Huh…"

Jakotsu squinted. Then he suddenly remembered. It was the shrine! This meant that he was just on the outskirts of his old hometown. The shrine had been abandoned, ever since Jakotsu was a young teenager. He remembered how the small children would tell stories, of how the shrine was haunted, and dared each other to go into it.

"I think it's a shrine." Jakotsu said slowly.

"Really?" Bankotsu furrowed his eyebrows. "How did you know that?"

"Uh…I can see a torri up there." Jakotsu was lying, but he knew there _was _a torri, a few meters from the shrine. _I hope its still standing, or I'll never be able to explain it to Bankotsu._

"Your eyes are really good!" Bankotsu frowned. "Alright…then…" He trudged away from Jakotsu and stood in front of the Shichinintai.

Jakotsu suddenly realized it was hailing. Fat, bead sized hailstones, fell from the sky, and thudded onto the dirt around them. Some of them landed into pools of water, and sprayed drops of wetness onto Jakotsu's clothes.

Bankotsu waved his arms to get their attention. They blinked, and stumbled towards him, gathering in a circle.

"I think we have no choice but to stop for shelter." Bankotsu shouted, to make himself heard.

The members of the Shichinintai merely nodded. They were all tired, and worn out from the weather and the traveling.

It seemed to take forever for them to make it to the Shrine. Sure enough, a tell red torri stood, a gate marking the entrance to the shrine grounds. They all passed through it.

"Alright, we'll stay here for tonight." Said Bankotsu. Then his faced grew concerned. He turned to look up at Kyoukotsu's enormous body.

"Kyoukotsu…"

Kyoukotsu grunted. "I'll be fine boss. I can hardly feel this weather." Jakotsu doubted that, since the ground where Kyoukotsu stood, was trembling slightly from his shivering.

"Are you sure?" Jakotsu could see how troubled Bankotsu was. He was torn between his moral about leaving no man behind, and also his desire to protect the rest of the Shichinintai.

"Yes, I'm sure."

Bankotsu hesitated. "Alright…take care of yourself, big guy." Then he turned and made his way towards the abandoned shrine, that Kyoukotsu would never be able to fit into.

The shrine was a bit dusty and damp, but it protected them all against the wind, and the hailstones. The Shichinintai stretched themselves along the floor.

It was amazing that the Shichinintai could sleep with all the noise. Outside, Jakotsu could hear the howling of the wind. The hailstones made a heavy plink-thunk noise as they hit the ceiling. Yet they were all very tired from their traveling, and were soon mostly asleep. Except for Jakotsu. He lay awake in the dark, listing to Mukotsu's heavy snoring, and Renkotsu's deep even breathing. _I have to get out of this village as soon as possible…_

"Jakotsu?" Bankotsu's voice was a wisper. Jakotsu was startled.

"Oh! You're awake, Aniki-kun?"

"Yeah. But so are you."

"Well the noise is kind of bugging me…"

There was a short silence.

"Jakotsu…there's something bothering you isn't there?" Bankotsu paused. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to…but if you want to tell anyone, you can talk to me."

Jakotsu drew in a breath. He felt a sudden urge to tell Bankotsu everything, to poor his out his story. He closed his eyed for a moment and exhaled.

"Okay…If I ever have anything to tell you, I will, Bankotsu." He rolled onto his back. There was no more talking, and the exhaustion of traveling the whole day, finally came down on Jakotsu. His breathing became heavier, and he soon drifted into a deep, restful sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

When Jakotsu woke in the morning, everything was quiet. For a while he lay on the ground, allowing his body to fully wake. Then, Jakotsu rose, and quietly slipped outside. The morning was cool and damp, but it had finally stopped raining. Bankotsu was already outside. He sat on the ground, staring into the distance, a dreamy look on his face. A short distance away, Kyoukotsu lay, his heavy breathing, swaying the branches of trees.

Bankotsu turned his head when he heard Jakotsu approaching.

"Oh…good morning Jakotsu." He said, smiling.

"Morning, Aniki-san…" Jakotsu yawned and dropped down beside Bankotsu. "What are we eating?"

"We still have some dried food. I was thinking we could eat it, and then set off on our way." Bankotsu frowned slightly. "I was actually planning on going out and finding some dry wood, so we could make soup."

Jakotsu grinned. "I'll go with you, and help, okay Ban-kun?"

They both rose to their feet and began walking towards the forest. They past Kyoukotsu, and as they were walking under the torri it suddenly occurred to Jakotsu that it was his birthday.

Inside the forest, the air was even cooler. Jakotsu shivered. His clothes were still not quite dry. Although Jakotsu felt uneasy being so close to the center of Muribito, it wasn't as bad as being at the old abandoned shrine. He has played at the shrine when he was younger, so being there brought a strong, chilling feeling of familiarity. However, he didn't recall ever being in this particular section of the forest. It was neutral ground. Still…Jakotsu would definitely rather be miles away. The sooner they left Muribito, the better.

"Aww…I doubt we're going to find any dry wood here…everything's all wet!" Bankotsu kicked at a damp log at his feet.

"Not everything" said Jakotsu. He leaned over and pulled away a few fern leaves from the ground. Underneath was a mostly dry piece of wood. He picked it up and handed it to Bankotsu.

Bankotsu chuckled. "What would I do without you, Jakotsu?"

Normally Jakotsu would have said something suggestive back, but for some reason a feeling of unease still clung to him. He could only smile weakly, back at Bankotsu.

He and Bankotsu continued to gather wood. It was hard word finding dry logs, but after a while, they managed to find a few pieces. They both worked in silence. The coldness made Jakotsu's breath into foggy clouds in front of his face. He began to quicken his working pace. Suddenly he stopped, alert. There was someone near them. Jakotsu could hear their footsteps, faintly crunching on the ground. Bankotsu continued to gather logs, unaware of the noise.

Jakotsu's heart stopped. His blood went cold. He had a strange feeling, as if his mind was no longer connected to his body. He in fact, could no longer feel his hands, or feet, or the coldness of the air on his skin. Every single sound disappeared except for the sound of the crunching twigs, under a person's walking feet.

Those footsteps filled Jakotsu with dread.

The wood that Jakotsu had been carrying tumbled to the ground. They landed with a wet thud. Wordlessly, Jakotsu began following the footsteps.

If Jakotsu could have heard anything other then those distant footsteps, he would have heard Bankotsu calling him.

"Jakotsu?" If Jakotsu could have heard, then he would have noticed Bankotsu's voice was alarmed, and full of apprehension.

If Jakotsu could have heard Bankotsu's voice, he might have stopped walking. Then again, he might have not. Because something about how those footsteps sounded, caused Jakotsu's stomach to drop.

Jakotsu kept walking. His footsteps were rapid, but soft, making sure not to alarm whoever he was following. He kept going, until he could see a man in front of him. The man was carrying logs. Jakotsu could not see his face. The man walked in a light and carefree way that was very familiar.

Jakotsu felt sick.

Jakotsu followed the man until he arrived in the small clearing. In the clearing, was a small house. Hiding in the trees, Jakotsu watched as the door of the house opened, and a small child ran out of it. The child had bright eyes, which were amber in the light. His face was round, and innocent, surrounded by messy black hair. Joyfully, the boy ran up to the familiar man, and hugged his legs.

"Daddy!" The boy looked so innocent. So happy.

"Ginta, get inside before you catch a cold!" A beautiful woman emerged at the door. Her face was stern, but her eyes were amused. She looked happy as well.

Jakotsu knew that woman. He had known her ever since he had been a young child. Jakotsu felt like he would die.

Laughing, the man handed his son a piece of wood. "You can help me carry it inside, okay?"

"Okay!"

There was so much love between them. They stepped into the house, and the door swung closed behind them.

As if in a dream, Jakotsu stepped out from the trees. He floated to the door of the house. His hand hovered in front of the door. Jakotsu could hear again. He felt attached to his body again. Blood pounded in his ears. His vision doubled for a moment. He felt faint.

His hand landed on the door, and he pushed it.

Jakotsu stepped inside the house. In the corner, he saw the father, placing the logs into a fire pit. His back was towards Jakotsu. The mother was chopping food. The delicious smell hung in the air, and Jakotsu remembered that the woman had always been a very good cook.

The little boy stood beside his mother. She let him try a piece of food, and he stood nibbling on it. Then he looked up and saw Jakotsu. The food dropped from his hands, and he backed away and screamed.

Jakotsu was quick. He lunged forwards and grabbed the man around his neck, and hurled him towards the wall. He crashed onto a table, which smashed apart under his weight. By now, the woman whose name was Sayo was screaming as well. Her son was bawling.

"Daddy!" He yelled, in anguish.

Jakotsu felt the Jakotsutou in his hands. Its weight was heavy, yet comforting. He strode forwards, and lifted the man by the neck again. The man's head hung limply forward. His hair was tangled and messy. The man lifted his head.

A wave of emotion washed over Jakotsu. For a moment he thought he would faint. Jakotsu found himself staring into dark eyes. The face had aged, but it was still definitely recognizable. Blood trickled softly from a cut on his forehead.

"Hikaru" Jakotsu's voice came out flat. His grip on his childhood friend, slackened.

"Jakotsu…" Hikaru's voice was shaky. His voice had gotten slightly deeper, yet it was still essentially the same.

"Don't hurt him! Please" Sayo pleaded. Her pretty face was red, and streaked with tears. She was sobbing.

"Daddy, Daddy!" Hikaru's son, Ginta ran towards Jakotsu. Jakotsu roughly pushed the boy away. He landed on the floor, with a thud.

"Please…don't hurt Sayo or Ginta…" Hikaru pleaded. He stared up at Jakotsu.

Jakotsu was seeing red. He was trembling all over.

"You seem happy now, Hikaru. You're happy now right? Right? _Right!" _The last word came out was a shout. He shook Hikaru roughly with his hand.

"Jakotsu, please…"

"Well that's great that you're happy. Its fucking great, that while I was suffering, and crying, and miserable, you were happy. That's really great, isn't it?" Jakotsu couldn't believe how much pain was pouring out of him. Years had past since he had last saw Hikaru. Why hadn't his pain healed? Why did this all hurt so much?

Hikaru's eyes were wet. "Jakotsu…"

"Stop saying my name!" Jakotsu was crying now. "You know my father died, right? Before I ran away, my father died…" Tears were running thickly from Jakotsu's eyes.

Someone was pounding on the door. "Jakotsu, are you in there? Jakotsu, open up!"

In the back of his mind, Jakotsu registered that it was Bankotsu banging on the door. However, at the moment, Jakotsu could only focus on Hikaru.

"Jakotsu, we have to get out of here! The daimyo tricked us! We have to go!" Bankotsu was shouting. The banging continued.

Hikaru spoke. "I'm sorry Jakotsu. I'm so sorry for everything that happened…I…I thought about you a lot after you disappeared. I always hoped that you would come back."

"Liar!" Jakotsu hissed.

"Its true! You were my best friend. I loved you like a brother!"

"Liar! You betrayed me!"

Bang! Bang! A giant sword split though the middle of the door.

"Don't hurt him!" Sayo cried. "I'll do anything, please…if its money you want…"

"Shut up, you woman filth!" Jakotsu snarled. He made a step towards her, and she cowered back, fearfully.

The memories rushed through Jakotsu's head. Laughing with Hikaru. Sitting beside Hikaru. Eating with Hikaru. The memories were stained with images of Sakura petals, all floating around, in the air.

They were kissing in the Sakura petals! 

God, it hurt. How could it hurt so much? Jakotsu felt as if his heart was being torn from his chest.

The wooden door was torn apart by the sword.

"Jakotsu…I loved you. You were my friend. I'm sorry." Hikaru said.

Jakotsu clutched his head. _Please…someone make the pain go away! _

The door was being pulled from its frame.

I just want the pain to go away! 

"You never loved me…" Jakotsu tightened his grip on the sword. "No one loves me…"

The sword flashed in the light.

Hikaru's eyes widened. His mouth parted, and blood trickled from his mouth. The Jakotsutou had pierced through his stomach.

"Jakotsu…" Hikaru's voice was weak. Blood blossomed against his shirt.

"Happy…birthday…Jakotsu. I really did love you." Hikaru's eyes closed, and his body sank to the floor.

Jakotsu's eyes widened with shock. _Happy birthday Jakotsu…_Something clattered to the ground. It was the blue butterfly hairpin that Hikaru had given him.

What have I done? 

Jakotsu was in a shock. He bent over and picked up the hairpin from the ground.

"Jakotsu." A firm hand closed over Jakotsu's wrist. It was Bankotsu.

"We have to get out of here right now. Or we're going to die."

Hikaru was dead. His body lay crumpled on the ground.

"Daddy!" Ginta yelled. He ran over to his father, sobbing. Sayo seemed to also be in a shock. She was sitting on the ground, pale and trembling.

I loved you Hikaru. I loved you so much… 

Turning, Jakotsu fled.


End file.
